SINGAPORE: Street artists will have a place to hone their skills
and produce transient artwork in the new year along the Rail
Corridor.
Their canvas will be two walls beneath the Commonwealth Avenue
viaduct structure.
This is made possible by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA),
National Arts Council (NAC) and Singapore Land Authority.
The interim art space will be available for a period of one year
starting from next year.
It is in line with the spirit of "PubliCity", an initiative
launched during the URA's Draft Master Plan 2013 to involve the
community to design and programme open spaces into interesting
public spaces.
RSCLS, an urban art collective and recipient of the National Arts
Council Seed Grant, will be curating the space in 2014.
RSCLS will facilitate community participation through activities
like street art jam to deepen public awareness about the art
form.
URA's Senior Director for Physical Planning, Mr Tan See Nin said:
"The Rail Corridor is currently a recreational space with many
people strolling, jogging and cycling along the trail and enjoying
the green landscapes along the way.
“We would like the Rail Corridor to be a place for shared
experiences and community bonding as well. We are pleased to have
the opportunity to partner NAC and the street art community to
introduce this art space.”
He added this is a creative way to inject more vibrancy and
community involvement into the Rail Corridor and provide a unique
experience for users of this public space.
NAC's Director of Arts & Youth, Mr Kenneth Kwok, said: "Street
artists and their work are an exciting part of Singapore's diverse
and vibrant arts scene.
“We hope that by facilitating dedicated art spaces, like the one
along the Rail Corridor, street artists can have the physical and
artistic room to express themselves and practise their craft.
“This is critical to the development of the Singapore street art
scene, which the Council will continue to support through grants,
spaces and public engagement about the value of street art."
- CNA/fa
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